Certificate/Minor

Certificate/Minor Program

A certificate program is a coherent grouping of courses from one or more disciplines. Such a program may provide an application focus in a particular field of study, or a multidisciplinary focus on a specific topic or area. A certificate provides formal recognition by the University that the course of study involves substantial exposure to the field or topic. The Certificate offered in Asian Studies, will be awarded concurrently with the Bachelor’s Degree and after completion of an approved programmatic check by the Undergraduate Advisor, the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and the Records Office. Courses taken to meet the requirements of the certificate program offered by AAAS may also simultaneously be used, where applicable, to meet General Education requirements of cooperating departments. Students should be aware that they must pass the Writing Proficiency Examination before the Certificate can be awarded, and that certain limitations (no more than one-forth of course-work applied to the Program) apply to the use of extension and/or transfer credit taken outside CSULB. Interested students should consult the department office.

Certificate in Asian Studies

This certificate in comparative Asian Studies consists of 15 units, of which 9 units must be at the upper division level.

Take one of the following courses:

  • AAAS 100 – Asian Eats (3 units)
  • A/ST 190 – Introduction to Eastern Ways of Thinking (3 units)
  • A/ST 311 – Statistics and Asian Societies (3 units)

Take either:

  • A/ST 307 – Modern Asia (3 units)
    or
  • A/ST 309 – Asia and Globalization (3 units)

Take one of the following courses:

  • A/ST 306 – Traditional Asia (3 units)
  • A/ST 320 – Asian Films: Culture and Identity (3 units)
  • A/ST 336 – Politics and Literature in Southeast Asia (3 units)
  • ASAM 340 – Asian American Family (3 units)

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Minor in Asian American Studies

The Minor in Asian American Studies is available to all majors except those in ASAM. This minor requires a minimum of 18 units. A “C” grade in all required and elective courses in the minor is mandatory for continuation in the program.

Required course:

ASAM 120 Asian American History (3)

Take one of the following courses:

ASAM 121 Contemporary Issues in Asian America (3)
ASAM 200 Asian American Inter-Ethnic Relations (3)

Choose any twelve (12) units from the following courses:

  • AAAS 492 – Senior Research Seminar (3 units)
  • ASAM 160 – Introduction to Asian American Literature (3 units)
  • ASAM 319 – Racial and Ethnic Experience in the United States (3 units)
  • ASAM 330 – Japanese American Experience (3 units)
  • ASAM 331 – Chinese American Experience (3 units)
  • ASAM 332 – Korean American Experience (3 units)
  • ASAM 333 – Vietnamese American Experience (3 units)
  • ASAM 334 – Cambodian American Experience (3 units)
  • ASAM 335 – Asian and Latino Immigration Since World War II (3 units)
  • ASAM 340 – Asian American Family (3 units)
  • ASAM 341 – Asian American/Chicano and Latino Cinema (3 units)
  • ASAM 350 – Environmental Justice (3 units)
  • ASAM 352 – Filipino/a American Experiences (3 units)
  • ASAM 353 – Filipino American Contemporary Issues (3 units)
  • ASAM 370 – Gender and Sexuality in Asian America (3 units)
  • ASAM 490 – Selected Topics in Asian American Studies (3 units)

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Minor in Chinese Language and Culture (18 units)

Chinese Language and Culture is a minor that focuses on the study of Chinese language.  It is available to any CSULB student, except for those who are majors in Chinese Studies or native Chinese speakers.  A minimum of 18 units is required.  Students are required to take three core courses in Chinese, then can choose two upper-division electives in consultation with Prof Ai, the Chinese Studies Adviser (ruixi.ai@csulb.edu). A “C” grade in all required and elective courses in the minor is mandatory for continuation in the program.

Required courses:

  • CHIN 101: Fundamentals of Chinese (4)
  • CHIN 102: Fundamentals of Chinese (4)
  • CHIN 201: Intermediate Chinese (4)

Choose any two from the following courses:

  • CHIN 380: Languages and Dialects in China (3)
  • CHIN 421: Current Affairs in China (3)
  • CHIN 451: Chinese Culture and Tradition (3)
  • CHIN 462: Contrastive Analysis of Chinese and English (3)

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Minor in Japanese Language and Culture (18-26 units)

This Minor requires a minimum of 18-25 units of required and elective courses focusing on the study of Japanese culture, communication, and language. These courses should be selected in consultation with the Japanese program adviser. Students may use AP credit or test out of JAPN 101 and 102 (8 units). This Minor is available to any student not majoring in Japanese. A “C” grade in all required and elective classes in the Minor is required for continuation in the program. Questions about this minor should be directed to with Prof. Chinen, the Japanese Adviser (k.chinen@csulb.edu).

Required courses*:

  • JAPN 101: Fundamentals of Japanese (4)
  • JAPN 102: Fundamentals of Japanese (4)
  • JAPN 201: Intermediate Japanese (4)
  • JAPN 202: Intermediate Japanese (4)
  • JAPN 301: Advanced Japanese (3)

Choose any two from the following courses:

  • JAPN 302: Advanced Japanese (3)
  • JAPN 311: Advanced Spoken Japanese (3)
  • JAPN 312: Advanced Spoken Japanese (3)
  • JAPN 350: Japanese Language, Culture, and Communication (3)
  • A/ST 393: Japan: Continuities and Transformations (3)

*If the student is placed in a level above JAPN 201 in the placement test, they can take an other 300 or 400 level Japanese course to replace the skipped course(s).
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Minor in Korean Language and Culture (18 units)

Korean Language and Culture is a minor that focuses on the study of Korean language, culture, and society. It is available to any CSULB student. A minimum of 18 units is required*. Students are required to take three core courses in the Korean language. They may choose two upper-division electives in consultation with the Undergraduate Advisor. A “C” grade in all required and elective courses in the minor is mandatory for continuation in the program. Questions about this minor should be directed to Prof Kim, the Undergraduate Adviser (barbara.kim@csulb.edu).

Required courses*:

  • KOR 101: Fundamentals of Korean (4)
  • KOR 102: Fundamentals of Korean (4)
  • KOR 201: Intermediate Korean (4)

Choose any two from the following courses:

  • A/ST 307: Modern Asia (3)
  • A/ST 309: Asia and Globalization (3)
  • A/ST 315: Modern Korea (3)
  • A/ST 320: East Asia in Fiction and Film (3)
  • ASAM 332: Korean American Experience (3)
  • HIST/ WGSS 406: Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Asia (3)

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Minor in Cambodian (Khmer) Language and Culture (18 units)

The Minor in Cambodian (Khmer) Language and Culture focuses on the study of Cambodian (Khmer) language, culture, and society. It is available to any CSULB student although the minor is directed toward developing the language capacity of Cambodian heritage speakers. A minimum of 18 units is required. Students must take three Cambodian language courses. In addition, they may choose two upper-division electives in consultation with the program advisor. A “C” grade in all required and elective courses in the minor is mandatory for continuation in the program.

Required courses:

  • KHMR 101: Fundamentals of Khmer (4)
  • KHMR 102: Fundamentals of Khmer (4)
  • KHMR 201: Intermediate Khmer (4)

OR

The following Khmer language courses can be taken through cross-enrollment or accepted as transfer credit.  Students can mix and match these courses for credit with approval of the undergraduate advisor.

UCB-UCLA-CSULB Khmer Language Consortium.  These courses are taught from UC Berkeley in a synchronous learning class environment.

  • KHMER 100A Intermediate Khmer (5) upper-division
  • KHMER 100B Intermediate Khmer (5) upper-division
  • KHMER 101A Advanced Khmer (3) upper-division
  • KHMER 101B Advanced Khmer (3) upper-division

Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison. 

  • First Year sequence, total of eight credits:
  • 1st semester Khmer (522-313), (4) upper-division
  • 2nd semester Khmer (522-314), (4) upper-division
  • Second Year sequence, total of eight credits:
  • 3rd semester Khmer (522-413), (4) upper-division
  • 4th semester Khmer (522-414), (4) upper-division 
  • Third Year sequence, total of six credits:
  • 5th semester Khmer (522-513), (3) upper-division
  • 6th semester Khmer (522-514), (3) upper-division

University of Hawai’i at Manoa Summer Abroad Program in Cambodia: Khmer Language & Culture.

  • CAM 112 (first year level); (10) lower division
  • CAM 212 (second year level); (10) lower division
  • CAM 303 (third year level); (6) upper division

Electives. Choose up to two CSULB upper-division courses:

  • A/ST 307: Modern Asia (3)
  • A/ST 309 Asia and Globalization (3)
  • A/ST 336 Politics and Literature in Southeast Asia (3)
  • A/ST 490 Selected Topics in Asian Studies (1 – 5)
  • ASAM 334 Cambodian American Experience (3)
  • EDEL 434 Cambodian Culture, Education, and Diaspora (1-3)
  • ART 375 Art and Social Action: A Global Perspective (3) 
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